Among vehicles provided with a load-carrying platform in a rear portion, a vehicle is known that provides a load-carrying platform extension means referred to as a bed extender to the load-carrying platform in order to increase a carrying capacity of the load-carrying platform.
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a known bed extender. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle is provided with the load-carrying platform in the rear portion, and this load-carrying platform is provided with a front-portion standing plate 123, one side-portion standing plate 125, another side-portion standing plate 127, a tailgate 137, and a bed extender 111. In FIG. 1, the bed extender 111 is placed in a stowed position.
From this state, the bed extender 111 is inversely moved 180° with a fulcrum portion 191 as a rotation center.
As a result, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the bed extender 111 rests on the tailgate 137 in an opened state. The bed extender 111 is fixed to the tailgate 137 by a lock mechanism 149.
Due to a difference in weight between the tailgate 137 and the bed extender 111, the tailgate 137 and the bed extender 111 exhibit different behaviors during travel. When the behaviors differ, a load on the lock mechanism increases. Increasing a rigidity of the lock mechanism 149 to handle the increase in the load invites enlargement and weight increasing of the lock mechanism 149.
In seeking weight reduction of the vehicle, a structure is sought that handles the difference in behaviors between the tailgate 137 and the bed extender 111 without inviting enlargement of the lock mechanism.